Game apparatus.



w. .1. Bunrls.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application led Mar. 5, 1898 Patented Apr; 30, |904.

animar-ww' UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

wiLLAED J. BURrIs, oF eRANvILLE, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFIGATION forming` part of Letters :Ea-tent No. 672,999, datedApril. 30, 1901.

Application filed March 5, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLARD J. BURTIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Granville, county of Washington and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specication.

The invention relates to such im provements; and it consists of thenovel construc-V tion and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the let-ters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures. p

Figure l of the drawings is a top plan view of my improved apparatus.Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same, taken on the brokenline 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is avertical section taken on the brokenline3 3 in Fig. 1.

The game played with myimproved apparatus consists in projecting amarble or similar object along a spiral channel or raceway to aninterior depressed plane surface having a plurality of cup-likedepressions, each adapted to receive and'retain a marble lodg# ingtherein.

A is a base-plate, preferably made of some light material, as wood,though I do not wish to limit myself in this particular.

13,13', B2, and B3 are grooves or raceways formed on the top surface ofthe base, extending in a spiral form from the central depressed planesurface C outwardly toward the peripheral edge of the base-plate. The

raceways are so disposed relatively to each other that each one inclosesits neighboring raceway on one side and is inclosed by its neighboringraceway on the opposite side. The raceways are preferably formed byinserting metal strips or bands A edge'wise in grooves A2, formed in theupper side of the base-plate, in the manner shown in the drawings; butthe strips or fillets forming the raceways, together with thebase-plate, may be cast in one integral piece of metal, or the separatestrips may be secured to a separate base-plate in any known manner.

The plane surface C is depressed below the surface plane of thebase-plate to form a cen- Serial No. 672,735. (No model.)l

tral well and provided with a plurality of cup-like depressions C,adapted to severally receive and retain a marble or other smallspherical object.

By having a plurality of raceways-for eX- ample, four of them-disposed,as shown,with their outer ends ninety degrees apart at the peripheraledge of the base-plate, which may be two or three feet in diameter, itis possible for four players to play the game and each have a separateraceway, all usable simultaneously.

The apparatus may be provided with any desired number of raceways-one 0rmore.

Each player should be provided with marbles differing in appearance orcolor from the marbles of the other players.

The players may play successivelyor sim ultaneously by projecting amarble alonga raceway to the depressed plane surface, making a count ifhe lodges his marble in one of the cup-like depressions. The differentdepressions rnay be given different values, as desired. For example, thelodgment of a marble` in one of the outer depressions would count tenand in the center depression one hundred.

The marbles may be snapped or propelled by the hand in any knownmanneror by some spring-actuated device. of a device which I believe tobe novel and peculiarly adapted for this uand similar purposes,consisting of a ram supported and actuated by a single spring.

-D represents the ram, which is supported in the bottom of a raceway bythe rubber spring D', which may be a common elastic band having the loopat each end slipped over a stud or nail D2, inserted in and projectingupwardlyfrom the base-plate. The band is forcedinto a narrow transversegroove D3 in the head of the ram, and the other end of the ram isprovided with an operating-handle, as the finger-catch D4.

To operate the device, place themarble F just in front of the ram, asshown. Then draw the ram back to the position indicated by the dottedlines in Fig. land release it. The'spring will guide the ram and at thesame time cause it to strike the marble with sufficient force to propelit through the raceway to the central depressed surface or well C.

I prefer to make use IOO The force of the blow upon the marble willdepend upon the force expended in drawing the ram back away from themarble before releasing it.

It will be observed that the propelling device is very simple and easilyconstructed and that the transverse spring has the double function ofguiding and actuating the ram.

rlhe raceway is preferably made Wider at its outer end, where thepropelling device is inserted.

By having a central depressed surface or well C at the end 0f theseveral raceways and providing the bottom surface of this well with aplurality of cup-like depressions adapted to receive the marbles themarbles are all made to pass in different lines of movement across thebottom of the well, according to the degree of force with which theyenter the well and strike its vertical wall. They may be propelled withsucient force to make them bound from one side of the well to anotherand back again, striking the vertical wall of the well several timesbefore the marble finally becomes seated in one of the cuplikedepressions.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A game apparatus consisting of a base-plate provided with a plurality ofspiral raceways leading inwardly to a well common to all the racewayshaving a plurality of cup-like depressions in its bottom surface,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of March,1898.

WILLARD J. BUR'lIS.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. MosHER, FRANK C. CURTIS.

